BIG CATS - SOUNDS OF NATURE

The sound of a big cat is definitely one that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

Although some game wardens may try to deny that any large cats are in their state, these four-footed stealthy creatures have a talent for making their way into new territory.

For example, a few decades ago, Ohio denied that there were bobcats in Ohio. They would preach to those of us who reported sightings and signs that the Ohio Bobcat was extinct. 

Canadian bobcat

Well, they weren't lying. The Ohio bobcat is [sadly] gone.

But what they failed to convey or to realize was that the northern portion of the state was becoming home to the Canadian Bobcat. And the southern part was busy welcoming the West Virginia Bobcat.

My closest encounter with one?  Two feet. Luckily there was a storm door between us. Which was closely followed by the addition of closing a solid wood door.

The bobcat range extends throughout North America - from southern Canada to Mid-Mexico.  It is very adaptable, living in wooded areas, semi-desert conditions, on the edge of urban areas, forest edges, and even swampy areas. Besides man, the bobcat's enemies include coyotes.

They range from a gray color to a reddish brown. Smaller than a lynx, it is several times larger than a domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on the forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail. They have a spotted pattern that works for camouflage.

West Virginia Bobcat

The color tends to be lighter in desert regions, going darker in more forested areas. A few have been found that appear to be almost black but they still have a spot pattern in the fur.

The bobcat is territorial and mostly solitary, although there can be some overlap in their home ranges. They mark their boundaries with claw marks on prominent trees and with deposits of urine or feces. Sharp hearing and vision and a good sense of smell assist them in their hunting. They are excellent climbers and while they normally avoid water, they are capable of swimming when needed. Some have been seen to actually swim across lakes.

The adult ranges in length from 18 to 49 inches and 12 to 24 inches high at the shoulder. They can weigh from 14 to 40 pounds; the female a little smaller at 9 to 34 pounds.

Bobcats are active mostly during twilight hours : 3 hours before sunset until around midnight; just before dawn until about 3 hours after sunrise. Within their territory, they will have several sheltering places. There will be a main den and then several other sheltering places spaced around the farther reaches of the area. They will use hollow logs, brush piles, thickets, and under rock ledges. Each space will have a strong odor to them.

Photograph by Michael Lensi, 2003.

Sometimes a bobcat will take down a larger animal. When they do, they will cover the carcass with either leaves or snow and will return to feed from it. They are also known to scavenge on the remains of other animal's kills.

A bobcat's tracks will show 4 toes and no claws, as they are retractable. The hind prints usually fall on top of the front prints. They range from 1 to 3 inches in size.

Although bobcats comprise the largest population of big cats in North America, there are others.

Sometimes confused with the bobcat, the Lynx is a little larger than the bobcat with longer and more hair, especially around the face and feet. This helps the lynx keep a little warmer in the colder climate. Their feet, being larger and hairier,  act as "snow shoes" and helps them get around in the snow.

The lynx also has a short tail, features tufts of black hair on the tips of their ears, have long whiskers and their paws are large and padded.





Their color ranges from a mid-brown to a goldish color to a beige-white and sometimes with dark-brown spots. The fur on their chests, bellies and the insides of their legs is white. The coloring, fur length, and paw size varies by the climate they live in. In the southwest U.S. the lynx is shorter haired, darker in color, and have smaller paws that are less padded. The colder the climate gets, the thicker the fur grows, the lighter the color gets and the larger the paws and more padded.



The Canada Lynx is 18 to 24 pounds, 31 to 41 inches in length and stands 19 to 22 inches high at the shoulder. The lynx is a good climbre and swimmer. It constructs rough shelters under fallen trees or rock ledges. Usually solitary, they have been known to travel and hunt in small groups upon occasion. They are nocturnal and are usually silent except during mating season [late winter to early spring].

Their tracks appear round compared to other species. They show 4 toe pads and a small round pad [due to the fur covering the bottom of the foot]. In        deeper snow, it is possible to see the impression made by the furred heel :

    the "ice cream cone" shape.

"Ice Cream Cone" shape

Last, there is also the Mountain Lion [Puma, Panther, Cougar].  Although it is considered to mostly live in the western U.S. and southwestern Canada, it is now being acknowledged that they are also living in Florida and several southern states and that they have also returned to Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas.

They are secretive, solitary; they are mostly nocturnal but are known to be active in the daytime. As an ambush predator, they prefer dense underbrush and rocky areas, although they can live in open areas. As a rule, these cats tend to avoid people. As we continue to invade their territories, attacks by them are increasing unfortunately. These cats make their dens in caves and other alcoves that will offer them protection. Stalking their prey from cover, they will leap onto the back of their victim with a suffocating neck bite. The cat will then drag the kill to a preferred spot, covering it with brush. The cougar returns to this site to feed over a period of days.

The cougar has 5 retractable claws on their front paws [ one dewclaw] and 4 on the hind feet. Their large paws help with their great leaping ability. They are better at short sprints rather than long chases and can reach speeds of 40 to 50 MPH. Cougars are also good at climbing and can swim.

Cougars use minimal vocal communication. They do not roar, but have pitched hisses, growls, purrs, chirps, and whistles. They are best known for their screams.

Scrape marks, urine and feces are used to mark their territory and to attract mates. Males may scrape together a small pile of leaves and grasses and then urinate on it to mark their territory.

I am sure that all the information above is familiar to many of you. If so, I hope you just skimmed through and have made it to this point where I will now stop "preaching" and get to the sound recordings.

So go ahead and click on the links and listen to some of the sounds that you might hear while out in the woods and fields.

Bobcat :
https://youtu.be/TMMGksIE98k

Bobcat cries :
https://youtu.be/ha7_xJdWjvA

Bobcat scream:
https://youtu.be/-YC1Odv-FrY

Lynx :
https://youtu.be/eaXmIPHrHmY

Lynx :
https://youtu.be/-Mi3jjJnwVA

Cougar :
https://youtu.be/T0hs8aGsizY

Cougar :
https://youtu.be/1CWAETgKdVg

Cougar :
https://youtu.be/pxo8X5uIWRE



Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."